Poles, timbers and other elongated structures, herein after referred to as poles, that are made out of wood or other materials are commonly used as structural supports, and in many instances the poles are subjected to impact and abrasion from external sources and also subjected to severe atmospheric conditions that tend to deteriorate the poles, requiring replacement, repair, etc. For example, poles are used as piers that are partially embedded in the earth and are impacted by water craft and other floating objects, and are contacted by moving water, such as in rivers, lakes, oceans, etc., and are subject to temperature extremes The wood of the poles may also be subjected to deterioration from insect infestation and chemical contact.
In order to protect wooden poles from conditions as described above, chemicals are impregnated in or externally applied to the surfaces of the poles, by painting, pressure application, spraying, etc. The materials applied to the poles for preservative purposes can include chromated copper arsenic known as CCA, ACQ, and creosote. While these measures have extended the lives of wooden poles, the application of the preservatives increases the cost of the poles, and the poles still are directly exposed to deterioration over extended times of use.
It is understood in the art that providing a protective sleeve about a pole so that the sleeved pole can be successfully used for extended periods in harsh conditions would be highly desirable. However, the process of applying a protective sleeve to a large pole and similar very large objects is difficult and expensive, and the sleeve material is difficult to manage in the application procedure.
One of the complicating factors in applying sleeves to poles is that poles typically are made from timber, trees harvested from forests, and the natural shape of a tree is tapered, larger at the bottom and smaller at the top. Moreover, some trees are not exactly rectilinear and may have unexpected fat and thin areas about its length and knots where limbs have been removed. These shape characteristics of a typical tree complicate the process of applying a sleeve to the pole.
This invention is directed to an improved process for applying a protective sleeve to a pole formed from a tree and to other similarly shaped items, and to the product formed by the process.